AR Kits XCG Bogies

Hi Guy's

Here is a quick modification to AR Kits XCG Bogies that I think looks pretty cool. All XCG bogies had their original outside huge brakes removed at some stage. They cut off the redunant parts of the bogies. As the cast of the bogies are hollow, when the ends were cut off it reveiled the hollow cast. So the photo's show how I drilled and hollowed out the cut off ends.

Just need a real sharp blade to do the finishing off. I guess this same modification could be done to the numerous RTR XCG bogies on the market atm but I haven't tried it on any as yet. I find that the bogies are something that can really excell a model and for some reason not many modellers pay much attention to. Over time I will work on all my bogies and try to work on getting the colours about right and even go to the trouble of putting data on them at some stage. The sort of data that explains when there next service is due.

Just a side note. Auscision are producing a new bogie for their AOOX/ABFX project that you need to see to believe. I am not sure on the code of the bogie but from what I have seen from the Liverpool Exhibition it is a reproduction of a bogie that was imported by the newly formed National Rail from Canada. Anyway it looks real good. I am sure that they will start to add the same detail to some of our locally produced bogies as time goes on. I think the Yanks will be lining up for this new bogie so Auscision will have a new market I am sure.

Cheers Justin Moy

Austrains 442 class staff exchanger

Hi Guy's

Just been doing a bit of work on a couple of my Austrains 442 class models. Just thought to share how I modified an ILM 80 class staff exchanger to fit the 442 class. The 442 class staff exchanger is a little wider than the 80 class so I had to cut the sides off the exchangers and add some styrene to the outside of the exchanger. Photo's may tell the story a little better.

Then it was just a matter of fitting it to the Jumbo.

Anyway this is the end result. The 80 class exchanger isn't 100% correct but it looks a lot better than the flat plate that was there at the start.

Cheers Justin Moy

Me

Hi Guy's

This is not about trains but about me. This week has been a hell of a week. But I look back at it as 3 Miracles. Firstly last Thursday my wife informed me that we are expecting. Now that is a Miracle in it's own right. We were not planning it but I welcome it and look forward to it. Since the big news I have got the worse case of the flu and still fighting it.

I got a leave pass to go to the Liverpool Exhibition on the Saturday for a day trip so I left Old Bar at 6am in the morning and arrived at Liverpool at 10am. Then the photo rang. My Family were in distress as the Ferris Wheel that they had just got off at the Old Bar Festival just had a light plane fly into it. They were still standing under it at the time and had to run to avoid being hit by debris. My Wife Amanda, my 2 step children Hayden and Callum, my Mother and Father in law and Brother in law all had to run for their lives. I spent about one hour on the phone outside the exhibition talking to everyone and making sure everyone was OK. They assured me they were OK so I stayed and spent some time at the Exhibition. It turns out that no one was injured at all. The pilot and passenger and the 3 groups of children that were on the ferris wheel at the time were not injured and everyone on the ground missed getting hit by debris. It was a Miracle when you start to think of what could of happened. I finished up enjoying the exhibition and catching up with heaps of people. My family banded together to comfort each other but my wife hasn't slept well since.

Things were just starting to get back to normal and yesterday I was out at the local shops seeing a doctor about my flu and a bit of shopping. Coming back a car coming out of a side street on the left failed to stop at a give way and hit our SV8 Commodore on the side at about 60 kmp. I was not hurt which is a miracle when you see the damage. I think if my wife or children had of been with me it would of been bad. It is a credit to the car that I wasn't hurt and I think if I had of been in my Hilux I would of been off to hospital. Anyway the car which we have only had for 3 weeks is a write off. We were off on holidays on Saturday to Dubbo and hopefully a side trip to Bathurst of Sunday so hopefully we can get a hire car for the trip as the Hilux is a bit uncomfortable for the trip.

Anyway That is the 3 Miracles of this week and I hope to get back to the modelling desk soon and the normality of life. We already have twin boys so hopefully the new car won't have to be a minivan:-) Scan next thursday?

Cheers Justin